Greece:
Greek grooms are pampered on
their wedding day as they relax while their
best man shaves their face and their future
mother-in-law feeds them honey and
almonds.
Japan:
American brides traditionally
wear a white dress. A Japanese bride
having a traditional Shinto ceremony is
completely decked out in white from head
to toe, including being painted pure white
and wearing a white hood to hide her
“horns of jealousy” she may feel toward
her new mother-in-law.
Norway:
Jingle all the way. Norwegian
brides skip the tiaras and go straight for
crowns. Traditional silver and gold with
small hanging charms, the bride makes
jingling sounds as she moves, deflecting
evil spirits.
Russia:
Newlyweds take a bite out of
life by sharing a wedding sweetbread
called karavaya, decorated with wheat for
prosperity and cooked
in interlocking rings to
represent faithfulness.
Without using their hands
the couple each takes
a bite of this treat and
whoever takes the biggest
bite is considered the head
of the family.
India:
Traditional
Indian weddings can last
days and are surrounded
by many rituals and
ceremonies, including the
Mehendi Ceremony when
the bride’s palms, wrists, arms, legs and
feet are decorated.
West Africa:
In the West African
country of Niger there are more than
guests dancing at the reception in the
desert, there’s a rhythmic dance done by
camels to the sounds of drums beating.
Jamaica:
Jamaican brides have to
develop a thick skin and be ready for
judgment on their wedding day. The
entire village pitches in to help plan the
wedding, but they also get to contribute
their input on the bride’s appearance. The
townspeople line the streets to view the
bride and will publically criticize her if they
don’t approve.
Germany:
At German wedding
celebrations friends and neighbors break
dishes for good luck. The newlyweds
clean up the mess together, symbolizing
that they can overcome
anything by working as a
team.
Czech Republic:
Forget the bachelorette
party, the bride’s friends
plant a tree in her yard
before the wedding and
decorate it with ribbons
and painted eggshells.
The legend is that the
bride will live as long as
the tree. Here’s to hoping
your friends have a green
thumb!
Cuba:
The dress in the most important
aspect in a Cuban wedding and they
believe that bigger is always better! Cuban
brides are channeling the 1980’s with
extravagant dresses adorned with ruffles
and full skirts. To offset the costly wedding,
when men dance with the bride they pin
money to her dress to help the couple pay
for their honeymoon.
Wales:
At American weddings, whoever
catches the bouquet is the next woman to
be married. In Wales, brides are kidnapped
by their families just before the wedding
and the groom and his family follow in
pursuit. Whoever rescues the damsel in
distress will be the next to get married.
Papua New Guinea:
Newlyweds
release a pair of white doves, representing
a harmonious life together for the happily
married couple.
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